Controlling mechanism for revolving doors



Oct. 22, 1929. w, LQWTHER I 1,732,902

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR REVOLVING DOORS Filed June 30. 1927 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEONARD W. LOWTHER,OF AUDUBON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HORN AND HAR- DART BAKING GOMI'ANY,A CORPORATION OF. NEW JERSEY CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR REVOLVING DOORQApplication filed June 30,

The object of this invention is to devise novel controlling mechanismfor revolving doors which will prevent the door being revolved at aspeed greater than a desired numbe r of revolutions per minute, and topermit the door to freely revolve at any speed less than thepredetermined number of revolutions per minute.

In devices of this character, as heretofore constructed, there is aliability of persons passing through the door opening becoming injureddue to a person in back of them revolving the door at such speed thatthey are caught between the door and the door frame, or are struck byone of the wings of the door as they are passing through, and there havebeen numerous cases Where people have been injured due to the door beingrevolved at too hi h a speed.

With the above and other objects in view, as will more clearlyhereinafter appear, my invention comprehends novel controlling mechanismfor revolving doors.

It further compreh-ends novel controlling mechanism for revolving doorswherein the door is free to be revolved by a person or persons passingtherethrough, at any speed below a set standard of revolutions perminute, and as soon as the set standard of speed isreached, the door isprevented from revolving at a higher speed than such standard.

It further comprehends a novel controlling mechanism for revolving doorswherein a member is driven at a continuous and con-- stant speed, and isadapted to interlock with means carried by the door as soon as the speedof revolutions of the door equals that of the driven member, so that thedoor cannot be revolved at a greater speed than the set standard ofspeed of the driven member.

Other novel features of construction and advantage will hereinafterclearly appear in the detailed description and theappended claims.

For the purpose of illustrating the inven- 1922. Serial No. 202,616.

tion, I have shown in the accompanying drawing a typical embodiment ofit, which, in practice, will give reliable and satisfactory results. Itis, however, to be understood that this embodiment is typical only andthat the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can bevariously arranged and organized, and that the invention is not,therefore, limited to the precise arrangement and organization of theseinstrumentalities as herein set forth.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of controlling mec'lianism for thedoors embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of figure 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings z- 1 designates a housing within which isadapted to be contained a controlling mech anism for revolving doorsembodying my in ventiom The housing has mounted in it a driving motor 2which is preferably an electric motor. The shaft of the motor 2 isconnected by means of a flexible coupling 3 with a driven motor l onemember of the coupling is loosely mounted on the motor shaft and carriesa spring 5 which serves as the driving connection between the flexiblecoupling 3 and a transmitting disc 6, fixed in any desired manner to aworm shaft 7, and abutting against one of the nuts SWhichare in threadedengagement with the worm shaft 7, and one of which serves as a loch nut.The free end of the motor shaftis guided in the worm shaft 7 which isrecessed at its end to receive it.-

The Worm shaft 7 passes through a stufiing box 8 in an end closure 5),secured to the housin any desired manner; The Wormshaft 7 is providedwith a shoulder 10 between which and an adjustable set collar 11 isinterposed an anti-friction bearing 12. The worm shaft 7 is alsoprovided with a shoulder 13 between which and an abutment 14:, isdisposed an antidricti'on device 15.

The free end of the worm shaft 7 is provided with a thrust bearing 16which is disposed between a shoulder on the housing and an end cap 17,secured to the housing in any desired manner. The free end of the wormshaft 7 is provided with a nut 18 between which and the abutment 14 isdisposed a spacing sleeve 19.

The worm shaft 7 is provided with a worm 20 which meshes with a wormgear 21, see more particularly Figure 2, which is located in a chamber22 in the housing 1, the top of the housing being closed by means of aremovable cover 23 which is adapted to receive lubricating material.

The worm gear 21 is loosely mounted on a sleeve 24 and is provided witha hub having an anti-friction bearing 25. The sleeve 24 is carried by ashaft 26 journalled in the housing and passing through a stufling box27.

The anti-friction bearing 25 has bearing against it a sleeve 28, thelower end of which abuts against the shoulder on the hub of thehousing 1. The worm gear 21 has secured to its upper face, a cap Washer29 by means of fastening devices 30, and this cap washer carries ananti-friction bearing 31 which engages the guide rod 32 which passesthrough the removable cover 23. The guide rod 32 is seated in a recessin the upper end of the shaft 26 and is provided with a lock nut 33which bears against the removable cover 23.

The fastening devices 30 pass through a ratchet 34 which is freelyrotatable on the hub of the worm gear 21 and on an annular rib 35arising from said gear. This ratchet Wheel 34 is fixed to the shaft 26in any desired manner so that it will revolve in unison therewith andalso in unison with the revolving door 36 to which it is operativelyconnected in any desired manner. 7 The worm gear 21 has fixed to itsupper face a bracket 37 which pivotally carries a pawl 38, and a spring39 is carried by the bracket and presses against the free end of :thepawl to cause it to normally be'retained in the path of the teeth of theratchet 34. The worm gear 21 revolves in the direction of the arrow,seen in Figure 1.

In order to facilitate the placing of the housing in proper positionwith respect to the door, it may be provided with brackets 40 whichcarry rollers 41, adapted to travel on the tracks 42 in the form ofangles and supported in any desired manner above the door.

. The shaft 26 is keyed or otherwise fixed to the ratchet 34, and at itslower end it is connected with an extension of the door 36 by means of aclamp 43 of any desired character.

The operation of my novel controlling mechanism for revolving doors willnow be apparent to those skilled in this art and is as follows It willbe apparent that the driving motor 2 is operatively connected with theworm gear 21, so that, during the continuous running of the motor 2, thegear 21 will be driven at a desired speed, depending upon the ratiobetween the gearing.

It is desirable in a device of this character to run it at such a speedthat people can rapidly pass through the door, and in practice a speedof eleven revolutions per minute has been found to be satisfactory, it,of course, being understood that any predetermined or set standard ofspeed may be provided.

Assuming now that the door is revolving, it will be apparent that as theworm gear 21 revolves, the pawl 38 carried by it will slide over theteeth of the ratchet 34 Without causing the door to revolve. If however,a person passing through the door opening causes the door to revolve ata speed greater than that of the number of revolutions per minute of theworm gear 21, then the pawl 38 engaging a ratchet tooth of the ratchet34 will prevent the door from revolving at a speed greater than that ofthe worm gear 21 and the pawl 38 which it carries.

It will be apparent that the revolving door can be revolved at any speedless than the speed of revolution of the worm gear 21. If a person triesto revolve the door at a greater speed than the speed of the drivenmember, the reaction is taken up on the gearing and the motor.

In accordance with my present invention, the speed of revolution of therevolving door can be accurately controlled to meet conditions andrequirements met with in practice, and the danger of anyone beinginjured in passing through the door, due to the door revolving at toohigh a speed, is overcome.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a revolving door, of a continuously drivenmember, and means cooperating with said door and member to prevent thedoor revolving at a speed greater than that of said driven member.

2. The combination with a revolving door, of a motor driven detent, andmeans operatively connected with said door adapted to permit therevolution of said door at a speed less than that of said detent and tocooperate with said detent to prevent the door revolving at a speedgreater than that of said motor driven detent.

3. The combination with a revolving door, of cooperating pawl andratchet members controlling the speed of revolution of said door toprevent its revolving faster than a predetermined speed, one of saidmembers being connected with said door to move in unison therewith, andmeans to drive the other of said members at said predetermined speed.'

4. Speed controlling mechanism for re voiving doors, comprising aratchet operatively connected with the door to revolve With it, a Wormgear, a spring pressed pawl carried by said Worm gear and in the path ofsaid ratchet, and a motor operatively connected with said Worm gear todrive it at a desired speed said pawl cooperating with said ratchet toprevent the revolving of said door at a speed greater than said desiredspeed.

LEONARD WV. LOWTHER.

